Armed terrorists suspected to be members of the notorious Lakurawa group have launched a deadly attack on a Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) camp in Maje, a community in the Bagudo Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
According to SaharaReporters, residents confirmed that the heavily armed attackers arrived in large numbers and opened fire without restraint, killing one Customs officer on the spot before setting the camp ablaze.
A resident who witnessed the incident said, “The terrorists came in numbers and started shooting sporadically. Everyone ran for safety.”
Naijaonpoint reports that the full extent of casualties and damage remains unclear as security operatives are still assessing the scene.
As of press time, neither the Kebbi State Government nor the NCS had issued an official statement on the attack.
The incident adds to the growing concerns over the escalating activities of terror groups across northern Nigeria, with border communities increasingly becoming soft targets.
Naijaonpoint reports that amid strong condemnation of terrorist activities in Nigeria, a prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, recently stirred fresh outrage after once again defending bandits operating in northern Nigeria.
Speaking in a recent interview on Trust TV, Gumi insisted that the Fulani bandit groups are motivated by grievances and vengeance, not unprovoked violence.
He claimed the herders and armed groups resort to attacks due to injustices they allegedly suffered.
“They do not attack people without any cause,” Gumi said.
He referenced a past visit by former Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda to a bandit enclave.
The cleric acknowledged the killings perpetrated by bandits but argued that their actions stem from retaliation.
“Yes, I know they have killed, and it’s wrong to kill anybody innocent. This is absolutely an obnoxious thing to do. We don’t support that. But if you know their psychology, they are on a revenge mission,” he said.
Gumi, who has long advocated amnesty, negotiation, and rehabilitation for bandits, insisted that Fulani herdsmen have a history of peaceful coexistence.
“Everybody knows the herdsmen… They don’t just attack people. We have been living with them for centuries. They don’t attack people without any cause,” he added.
Gumi urged the Tinubu administration to prioritise unifying and rehabilitating armed groups instead of adopting an exclusively military approach.
His comments have drawn sharp criticism, especially in the wake of the latest attack in Kebbi, which many Nigerians see as further evidence of the growing threat posed by terror gangs across the North-West.
Security analysts warn that continued sympathy for violent groups could embolden them, even as communities like Maje continue to face relentless assaults.
Authorities are expected to release official statements as investigations into the Kebbi attack progress.
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